"Baoying, you seem so fake..." (a reference to a fictional character)
In the dimly lit old house, the worn-out furniture and the old man inside exuded a stuffy, decaying smell.
Peng Youcai, with a sullen face, carried a basin of hot water and walked sideways through the half-open door, leaning back to close the door with his back.
Before the old man, who was limping towards the chair, could speak, he muttered a complaint in a low voice:
"What are you doing out like that? You almost scared someone. Didn't I tell you not to come out so casually anymore?"
Wang Xiaotao was always able to tolerate her son's nagging, so she didn't say much after hearing this. She just sighed, dragging her stiff and aching legs.
When I sat down and took off my shoes, I thought I'd take this opportunity to chat with my son.
“I heard that the old lady downstairs is also from the old Tengzhou. Ask her if she’s from Qifeng Town. That’s where our hometown is. Your father used to worry about that rat hole under the wall of the old house. He said that when he went back, he would definitely dig out that nest of rats and hang it on the door as a warning to everyone…”
The man in her memory was always so humorous and lively, and Wang Xiaotao would often think of him unintentionally.
He always looked young and strong, but she was no longer that little girl wearing a flower scarf.
Peng Youcai had heard his mother recount these old stories over and over again, like scalding cabbage; his ears were long since calloused. Impatiently, he squatted down, took off his mother's shoes and socks, and, splashing water, said:
“Mother, you’ve said this a hundred times.”
Wang Xiaotao shut her mouth, her face, etched with the marks of time, showing a hint of unease and sadness, as well as a suppressed anger.
When the perfectly warm water reached her calves, she couldn't help but say:
"Boss, we won't make things difficult for our fellow villagers."
Peng Youcai said, "Well, that old lady isn't very useful, but that little girl is good material. Plus, there are those two careless young couples, and that fool hiding from gambling debts. Making a few fresh pills will do the job."
Wang Xiaotao clasped her hands together and said "I'm sorry," then sighed:
“When I married your father, I was just as young as them. Back then, I didn’t even think much of him, but your father would herd sheep for our family every day, or deliver vegetables, or help carry water…”
Peng Youcai really didn't want to listen to these endless ramblings about the past, so he quickly helped his mother wipe her feet and put on her shoes, and soon left the room with the water.
In the dimly lit room, an old man, old and lonely, kept his life's story to himself and sighed slowly.
.
Yan Huanyue helped Pei Xuanzhi step onto the creaking wooden stairs.
He was much taller than her, and on the narrow staircase, he shuffled along the wall, carefully and restrained himself to leave her as much space as possible and not to squeeze her.
The place is very clean, but the old wood inevitably collects some dust, and the air isn't always fresh when you step on it.
He would cough occasionally, making the otherwise quiet and dimly lit shop seem even more desolate.
As they walked, Peng Youcai, who was leading the way, gave them instructions: "There are mountains in the distance. The wind howls and wolves howl at night. Don't be afraid if you hear any noise. It will be fine by dawn."
As the scent of incense grew clearer, Yan Huanyue asked, "Shopkeeper, what kind of incense do you offer here? I can always smell burning incense."
In the dark, narrow corridor on the second floor, Peng Youcai walked along, looking back as he carried a candlestick.
His face was half in the light and half in the shadows, the light and shadow shifting, sometimes brighter and sometimes dimmer.
"Yes, there is. My father's memorial tablet is enshrined there, but it's actually in the backyard. There's a window on the second floor, so you can smell it."
Yan Huanyue asked, "I see that there is a brightly lit town not far from this shop, and there must be a lot of people coming and going. Are you and your wife able to manage it all?"
Peng Youcai turned to look at the road ahead and stopped in front of a half-open door. "There's always an end to being busy. As long as my mother doesn't get sick, we can rest easy."
Three long shadows were cast on the ground from the corridor.
Pei Xuanzhi, who hadn't spoken a word the whole way, glanced back at the dark corridor and the window shrouded in the hazy moonlight, and suddenly asked:
When will you offer incense to your family?
Peng Youcai hadn't expected him to ask that, and feeling somewhat offended, the honest and kind man angrily pushed open the door, turned around, and vented his dissatisfaction in a muffled, low voice, muttering heavily:
"What in-laws? I'm supporting my father. I'm over forty and don't even have a son or daughter. What in-laws are you talking about? We're not even related yet and you're already thinking about my deceased in-laws? What kind of unlucky talk is that!"
Yan Huanyue also found him rather strange; where did he get the curiosity to ask when someone else's father had died?
But upon closer reflection, perhaps he had discovered something, which was why he asked the question, so he defused the situation by saying:
"Shopkeeper, don't misunderstand. My husband has rarely gone out. He's simple-minded and has never had any bad intentions. He asked for 'Qing,' which means 'you.' He wanted to know when your family started burning incense. You don't need to answer. He just asked because he was afraid of awkward silence."
Pei Xuanzhi stood to the side and nodded, completely agreeing with her assessment of him. "That's right. I apologize for any offense, please don't misunderstand, shopkeeper."
Peng Youcai was not easily coaxed. He muttered something under his breath, left them in front of the house, and took the lamp and left.
Yan Huanyue went into the room first, and Pei Xuanzhi followed her in and bolted the door. He was hit by the old smell in the room and sneezed while holding the door.
Yan Huanyue lit the candle on the table, looked around, and saw that everything seemed ordinary, but there was one thing that seemed strange.
She looked at Pei Xuanzhi and asked quietly, "Why did you ask him when his father passed away?"
Pei Xuanzhi patted off imaginary dust from his clothes, walked over and sat down next to her, wearily resting his chin on his hand as he faced her.
He dared not look into her eyes, his gaze instead resting quietly on the stray strands of hair at her temples, and he said softly with a calm expression:
"I only asked because I was afraid of running out of things to talk about and feeling awkward."
Fortunately, Yan Huanyue had never placed too much hope in him, so she asked, "So it's just as I said... but didn't you notice anything strange?"
Pei Xuanzhi thought for a moment, then put his hands away and sat up straight, saying, "Since there is a backyard, it is inconvenient for the younger generation to serve soup and water because the elderly with mobility issues are arranged to live on the second floor."
Yan Huanyue agreed, "That's right, but the old man was dressed neatly and his white hair was combed clean, so he didn't look like he had been mistreated."
Pei Xuanzhi got up to make the bed, and said while taking off his clothes, "Lie down for a while and listen to how disturbing the howling wind and howling wolves are here."
Yan Huanyue set up a small defensive barrier around the bed and took off her outer garment to lie down with him.
Ever since he crossed the tide of passion, they have been sleeping in separate beds, and they can only do so because of the "howling wind and wolves" that may come at any time.
Vigilant against the eerie presence lurking somewhere, Yan Huanyue's heart was pounding. She lay in the darkness, silently waiting, her hands forming a hand seal.
Outside the window, the wind rustled through the branches, rising and falling intermittently, while beside her, Pei Xuanzhi breathed softly.
His faint fragrance seeped in without her noticing, silently encroaching on her breath.
Looking at the quiet moonlight by the window, Yan Huanyue suddenly asked, "Do you know of a medicine called 'Morning and Evening'? I've heard it's an extremely potent and toxic substance."
The person beside her seemed not to have heard her clearly, snuggling closer to her pillow, their warm breath brushing against her cheek, their soft voice carrying a hint of weariness as they struggled to stay awake, "What medicine?"
Yan Huanyue said softly, "It's cruel to say, but please don't take offense. 'Morning and Evening' is a kind of medicine that I once saw in a medical book in the library. Many years ago, an evil cultivator refined it with the blood of a demon. It can be burned and eaten. When burned, it becomes an illusion; when eaten, it is poison. Prolonged illusions can also breed greed. When greed becomes extreme, one will drink poison. Morning and evening, one is trapped in a cage, yet finds it sweet."
Pei Xuanzhi was silent for a moment, then said, "There are many medicines made by evil cultivators and demons using the flesh and blood of succubi, why did you think of this one in particular?"
Yan Huanyue said, "The book says that the likes of 'Fragrant Dew' and 'Spring Curtain' can only bewitch people for a few days. They are the most wasteful drugs for a seductress's talent. 'Feeling Fear', 'Meeting Rain', 'Snowflakes', and 'Cloud Wind Song' are already hard to get rid of once you're hooked. 'Morning and Evening' is the one that uses a seductress's talent to the extreme."
Pei Xuanzhi said calmly, "However, there are always those who are not swayed by the words 'winning hearts and minds.' They are probably invulnerable treasures and may be used as an antidote."
Yan Huanyue said, "It's not mentioned in the book, but the incense burning here looks somewhat like the one you're wearing. Didn't you notice?"
Pei Xuanzhi was taken aback. He smelled a very ordinary scent of incense and candles. This scent, which always reminded people of funerals, was actually similar to his own.
His expression suddenly turned strange. He stepped back, distancing himself from her, and asked incredulously, "Does it look like her?"
Yan Huanyue smelled the cool yet slightly sweet scent and said, "Hmm, there is a faint sweetness hidden in it, which is very similar to you, but not exactly the same. There are too many mixed scents from the incense, so I can't quite distinguish them. I don't know if it is as I expected."
"oh."
The room fell silent.
"What I smell is the same as what Brother Zhao said earlier. I've never smelled anything sweet on me before. Could Senior Sister Yan be mistaken?"
A rustling sound approached, and a cool breath lingered above Yan Huanyue's face, the moonlight outlining the contours of his wrist.
In the dim light, he turned slightly to the side, rolled up his sleeves, and held his wrist to her nose, saying earnestly, "Senior sister, please examine it carefully again."
There was a noise outside. Yan Huanyue raised her hand and pressed his arm down to the side. She listened carefully and heard the sound of the shopkeeper escorting Granny Zhang and her granddaughter, as well as Zhao Chai'er, into the room.
Yan Huanyue kept a close eye on the sounds outside, in case anything unexpected happened.
But soon the shopkeeper dragged his tired feet downstairs.
Zhao Chai'er was shaking dice loudly next door when Granny Zhang knocked on her door and scolded her. After that, she quietly stayed in her room and didn't make any more noise.
Yan Huanyue slowed her breathing, threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, and quietly strolled a few steps down the corridor.
He secretly drew a barrier in front of Zhao Chai'er and Granny Zhang's rooms, then went to the window to get some fresh air and look at the backyard before returning to his room.
Although there was a protective barrier around the bed, she was still not entirely at ease. She first secretly felt for Pei Xuanzhi's face, carefully examined it by the moonlight, then cupped his face and brought it close to him, asking, "Who am I?"
Pei Xuanzhi was momentarily dazed by this sudden treatment. Looking at her exceptionally soft silhouette in the dim light, he unconsciously gripped the bedsheets beneath him and whispered, "Baoying, you seem so fake..."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-04-18 23:58:22 and 2024-04-20 12:24:23!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Watermelon Head 20 bottles; Tomato Scrambled Eggs 18 bottles; Laser Chocolate 14 bottles; 47690681 10 bottles; Annihilation 6 bottles; 42293163, Little Bear Electric 5 bottles; Nameless, San San 2 bottles; Tool Preset, Wow My God~, 21247412, Little Girl Who Loves Longtu, nna, kurosakiiji, Lanze Duofangcao, and Just Want to Drink Milk Tea 1 bottle;
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